My younger brother Zhuge Liang

Chapter 84: Three Hundred Miles Away

At the end of February, on the eastern outskirts of Chaisang, by the Pengli Lake.

Zhuge Liang, who had already taken charge of the surrendered troops, finally started to work on the last task his elder brother had given him - familiarizing himself with the survey of water conservancy management. He had to master this job thoroughly before he set out on his mission to Liu Bei, otherwise, when he got there, he would be at a loss as soon as Chen Qun asked for advice.

Fortunately, Zhuge Liang was very interested in the laws of nature and was willing to tinker with practical studies. After a few days, he did not feel tired.

The Pengli Lake in the Han Dynasty was much larger than the Poyang Lake in later generations, but the water level was also very shallow, and the difference in lake area between the dry season and the wet season was also very large.

In winter, there is less rainfall, so a large area of muddy lake bottom will be exposed. In early summer, when the water is the highest, the entire lake will be submerged (that’s why you have to go to see Lushan Waterfall in early summer).

During the previous dry season, Zhuge Jin ordered his men to take advantage of the low water level to fill up some locations on the shore that were slightly below the lake level during the flood season with silt to ensure that they would be above the water level during the flood season, thus forming polder fields.

The required soil is dug from a lower location, so that the volume and irrigation capacity of the lake area will not be affected.

Moreover, the polder fields are very fertile, as they are made up of years of accumulated silt from the lake bottom. They can produce a good harvest for at least three to five years without the use of fertilizers.

The amount of construction work on the polder is actually not that large, because the silt is very soft and easy to dig.

It's just that ordinary people can't accurately measure the water level difference and altitude, and often fill it up incompletely. If there are experienced people who are good at water conservancy surveying to check, the situation will be much better.

Zhuge Liang was obviously "a person with professional knowledge in this area" - he had already finished learning the mathematics and optical physics scrolls given to him by his elder brother, and had also done the paper application questions, and all he had left was to put them into practice.

If they practice more and hone their skills in actual combat, they may not surpass modern people, but they will definitely surpass the level of hydrological survey masters in the Tang and song dynasties.

Compared with building canals and sluice gates, the difficulty of building polder fields is absolutely child's play. However, the principle of optical level measurement used is the same.

After Zhuge Liang inspected the polder, he tested a few ditches, wanted to artificially regulate the water level and built some scaled-down canal gates. He practiced all the skills he needed to learn. If there were any problems, he would ask his elder brother for help to check and fill in the gaps. After about ten days, he was able to handle the job on his own.

……

On this day, Zhuge Liang finally felt that his flood control skills were good enough.

He prepared to pack up and return the 5,000 soldiers and warships to Liu Zhengnan. He also prepared to take enough food on board and set sail the day after tomorrow to go to Guangling for the mission.

Because it was the day of "craftsmanship acceptance", Zhuge Jin also took out a rare whole day to accompany his younger brother to make sure that his younger brother really learned it well. The two brothers were busy working in the polder and irrigation canals outside the city and did not return until the evening.

Zhuge Liang was too busy these days and had no energy to pay attention to other details of life. Even when he was rushing in and out of the city every day, he was distracted and thinking about his own affairs.

Now that I am in a more stable mood, when I travel again, I just take a quick tour, looking around and noticing some new and interesting things.

Zhuge Liang saw a newly-tended polder where farmers were sowing seeds with the "scissor-type hole-digger" invented by his eldest brother last year, and oxen were digging ditches with a slightly strange-looking plow.

Zhuge Liang had been dealing with agricultural and water conservancy affairs for more than ten days, and was naturally sensitive to innovations in agricultural tools. So when he saw the plow, he stopped, took off his shoes again, walked into the mud, and observed it carefully.

As he watched, he could not help but ask the farmer who was tilling the land: "Old man, who made this plow? Why have I never seen it anywhere else? How long have you people in Chaisang been using it? It's a good thing. It breaks the soil much more sharply than other plows."

The farmers originally didn't care about the horses passing by on the path beside the field, but when Zhuge Liang took the initiative to talk to them, they all looked up.

When they saw Zhuge Liang's face and clothes, as well as Zhuge Jin in the distance, they could not help but bow down in the mud. Fortunately, everyone was plowing the fields with bare legs, so they did not worry about getting their clothes dirty.

"Why are you teasing me, Second Young Master? This plow was not made by the Captain. It helped us recover the farming time lost during the Zuo Rong Rebellion. Who among the people of Chaisang would not be grateful for his kindness?"

After the old farmer finished explaining, he continued to bow to Zhuge Jin. In the end, Zhuge Jin signaled them not to be so polite.

Zhuge Liang was stunned and suddenly turned to look at his elder brother.

Zhuge Jin couldn't help but laugh: "This was just made a dozen days ago. You've been so absorbed in water conservancy surveys lately that you passed by the fields outside the city every day, didn't you notice it?"

Zhuge Liang was relieved, and then he felt a little itchy: "Is it just made? No wonder. In this case, this thing may be improved to save more labor, big brother, have you tried it?"

Zhuge Jin waved his hands helplessly: "There is definitely room for improvement, but I don't have the energy for the time being - if it weren't for Zuo Rong's invasion, our Chaisang County would have been forced to clear the fields and delay spring ploughing.

I would not spend so much energy on this just because I could not bear to see the people suffer. But the final effect was just like that, only saving five or six days of farming time.

Now that the spring ploughing season is almost over, there is no need to rush to make changes. Just wait until next year's spring ploughing to come up with something better. These things should be kept secret for the time being, and don't publicize them. After all, they haven't been revised yet."

There is no doubt that the new plowing tool Zhuge Jin tried to make was the curved plow from the Tang and Song dynasties. However, he was not an agricultural expert and did not know what the so-called straight-beam plow and curved-beam plow looked like. Therefore, he could only make a rough experiment based on the principles of mechanics.

The final product may not be as labor-saving as the curved beam plow of the Tang Dynasty, but it is indeed better than the original plow of the Han Dynasty. If it can be made well, it can also be regarded as a labor-saving tool for land reclamation.

After listening to his elder brother's explanation, Zhuge Liang was no longer anxious to achieve success, but just said to himself:
"Now that the spring ploughing season has passed, there is really no need to rush. There is still more than half a year left. I have other important things to attend to first. When I have some free time, I can help my brother with his worries."

Zhuge Jin was of course happy to train his brother, and quickly said, "If you really want to do this well, first finish learning the two latest scrolls I prepared for you this time. One is mathematics, 'Vector Synthesis and Decomposition'. You have already learned trigonometric functions, so learning vectors should be easy.

Only after learning about vectors can you understand how to calculate the resultant force of forces in different tilt directions, and only then can you fully master the physics volume on "force analysis". After learning both volumes, you can try to integrate these mechanical ideas, and perhaps you can improve a more labor-saving structure. "

As mentioned earlier, before Zhuge Liang met up with his eldest brother, his math level was equivalent to that of a junior high school graduate, but his physics level was not even that level. He had only completed the optics part of junior high school and had only learned the basics of mechanics.

This is because the force analysis of the mechanics part requires vector mathematical tools. Without a mathematical foundation, physics is like water without a source and a tree without roots.

Now we need to study simple mechanical design and conduct detailed mechanical analysis. It is also time to add the vector part of high school mathematics, and then gradually add the remaining junior high school mechanics.

Zhuge Liang did not feel distressed about receiving two more secret scrolls.

Anyway, for him, learning secret scrolls is just like playing games for others, a form of entertainment.

This time, with the task goal of "improving the curved plow" in front of him, he is more motivated because he can use the new knowledge he has learned directly.

……

Two days later, at the Yangtze River wharf north of Chaisang City.

Zhuge Liang, who had made all the preparations, boarded the ship with the warship fleet, the five thousand soldiers returned to Liu Bei, and Chen Dao, who was responsible for protecting him along the way, and bowed to say goodbye to his elder brother.

Finally, Zhuge Jin gave his second brother some reminders of matters needing attention, and told him to keep his letters well, and to be careful about what to say and what to think about when he met Liu Bei.

Zhuge Liang said that he would act according to circumstances and not to worry, so Zhuge Jin stopped talking nonsense.

With his brother's intelligence, it would be a bit ungrateful to say more. The fleet quickly set sail, and Zhuge Jin watched his brother drift down the river and disappear on the Yangtze River skyline.

Zhuge Jin sighed, knowing that he would be busy again in the future, and that his second brother would no longer be there to help him for quite a long time.

There is still a lot of internal affairs and farming work to be done in Yuzhang County after the war.

After Zuo Rong was eliminated, the huge amount of seized property that was about to be escorted back from Nanchang had to be re-stocked and counted, and planned for utilization. Now that Aliang, a useful math talent, was gone, the two younger sisters would have to take care of the accounts.

Fortunately, Zhuge Zhi and Zhuge Lan also studied mathematics and account-keeping with their younger brother for two months. Even though they were not as good as Zhuge Liang, they were better than the average financial officials. This was because the Zhuge family’s mathematics textbooks were so awesome.

However, even if the finances and accounts could be outsourced to someone else, Zhuge Jin himself still had to deal with the logistical preparations and various emergencies for the subsequent campaign against Zu Lang.

I also have to devote my energy to contacting the talented people that Aliang is about to recruit from Jingzhou, assigning them official positions, and helping them to smoothly take up their posts and adapt to their positions...

Zhuge Liang's letter to Pang Tong and others was sent to Xiangyang ten days before Zhuge Liang himself set out. It should be delivered soon.

If the other party set off immediately, the voyage back from Xiangyang would take at most six or seven days, and Zhuge Jin was really busy.

However, if Pang Tong is willing to come, with his intelligence, he should be able to help quickly. I can also train him appropriately to improve Pang Tong's abilities.

Thinking of this, Zhuge Jin finally felt less depressed.

……

On the other hand, while Zhuge Jin sent his brother away and was busy arranging a new round of farming and preparing for war,
Zhuge Liang had no trouble along the way, sailing downstream, and could travel 150 miles a day. In just four days, he passed Wuhu and was about to reach Niuzhu.

When he was bored on the boat, Zhuge Liang had long been accustomed to reading books and studying the secret scrolls given by his elder brother - this had become a routine. On the way back to Yuzhang from Jingzhou, he had learned factorization and quadratic equations along the way.

This time, he took on the responsibility and focused on studying for four days. He learned all the content of the topic "Vector" in the first year of high school mathematics, and was able to apply it flexibly and understand it thoroughly.

"That's it? It means the concept is relatively new and introduces a new way of thinking. It's not difficult at all. Well, let's do it in one go. We should be able to reach Guangling in two days. I will also finish learning the 'Synthetic Analysis of Forces' that my elder brother gave me!"

Zhuge Liang put away the secret scroll he had just finished studying and was about to take out the second scroll. He imagined that after he finished studying, he could improve the curved plow to make it more efficient, and maybe even create more new agricultural tools that would benefit the people.

However, at this moment, Chen Dao, who was responsible for protecting him, suddenly rushed into the cabin and warned Zhuge Liang: "Sir, there is a navy coming upstream downstream. The scale is no less than ours, and we can't see the flag clearly."

Zhuge Liang was slightly surprised: "Are we on the south bank or the north bank now? Did the people come from the south bank or the north bank?"

Chen Dao: "It's all the north bank. Sun Ce's navy is on the south bank. The captain has ordered us to take the north bank all the way. It's better to provoke Liu Xun and Zhang Duo than Sun Ce."

Zhuge Liang frowned. "If we take the northern bank, will Sun Ce come to intercept us? If it is Yuan Shu, even if he has many soldiers and generals, Liu Xun's Yangtze River navy is weak. Lord Xuande controls Guangling and the Grand Canal. How can he let Yuan Shu's powerful Huai River navy enter the Yangtze River?"

Only then did Chen realize that something was wrong. He stroked his beard and said, "Now that you mention it, there is indeed something fishy."

Zhuge Liang: "Have the soldiers prepare for battle, but don't panic. Continue to sail along the north coast and wait until you can see the flag of the incoming ship before making any decisions."

Chen Dao took the order and left. After observing for a cup of tea, the two fleets were sailing towards each other and approaching each other very quickly.

Chen Dao finally saw clearly that the opposite side seemed to be flying the flag of Yuan’s army, and he was shocked, but soon discovered that the other side also played the trick of changing flags, lowering the flag of the rear general and replacing it with the flag of the general who conquers the south. Chen Dao was overjoyed and relieved: The lord actually sent people to support from so far away?

He did not dare to relax his vigilance too much. He just told Zhuge Liang the good news first, saying that someone was coming to greet him, but asked Zhuge Liang not to leave the cabin to avoid stray arrows.

The two sides continued to approach each other, and the other side was indeed not hostile at all. As they got closer and closer, Chen Dao finally confirmed that it was friendly forces coming to greet them.

The two fleets were only a hundred steps apart, and the ships on the opposite side began to turn around, preparing to go downstream in parallel.

Suddenly, a general in brocade robes came out of the lead ship, stood on the deck, bowed and shouted: "Is it Zhuge Kongming who is coming? General of the Southern Expedition of the Han Dynasty, Marquis of Yichengting, and Governor of Yangzhou, Liu Bei, have come to greet you."

Chen Dao was shocked until this moment. He originally thought that the lord had sent a naval commander to meet him, but he did not expect that he came in person. He immediately rushed back to the cabin and told Zhuge Liang the news.

Zhuge Liang quickly put down "Combined Force Analysis" and walked onto the deck in surprise.

Chen Dao had already introduced him, shouting at the top of his voice: "My Lord! I am Chen Dao! Mr. Zhuge is here!"

Zhuge Liang finally saw through Liu Bei and shouted back, "General, you are so courteous to the wise and humble. This is rare in the world! How dare a wanderer from the mountains and fields come hundreds of miles to greet you?"

At this time, Liu Bei had ordered the helmsman to continue to move the boat closer, so that he could see the other person's face clearly. As expected, he was 60% similar to Ziyu, but his face was not long.

Moreover, those three or four points that are different are exactly in the direction of being more handsome and elegant, almost like a fairy.

Liu Bei was fascinated. Even if he had doubts about what Song and Ziyu had said, they all disappeared at this moment. He bowed and said, "I have heard of your great name from your brother and mother for a long time. I am honored to meet you today.

This time, it was because Sun Ce's navy was causing trouble in many counties south of the Yangtze River, from Wuhu onwards, and I was afraid that it would disturb you. So I personally led the navy upstream for 300 miles to meet you, but I didn't expect that I was still a little late. You had already reached Niuzhu, and we just met by chance. "

As Liu Bei saw that the two boats were very close, he quickly signaled Chen Dao to help Zhuge Liang retreat, and then ordered the hookmen to grab the opposite boat and slowly tighten the rope, and put up the cone-head springboard.

Two personal guards who were good at swimming jumped over the boat first, and then Liu Bei also jumped over the boat under the protection of his personal guards.

When Zhuge Liang saw this scene, he was actually somewhat moved.

He recalled the day he and his elder brother reunited two and a half months ago. The water on the Pengli Lake was much calmer than that on the Yangtze River. At that time, Gan Ning also wanted to take out the hook and board the ship, but his elder brother repeatedly told the fleet to dock first.

It is certainly right for the eldest brother to be cautious, but General Liu's performance today is obviously even more rare.

Zhuge Liang: "I am a country bumpkin, young and frivolous, and I really don't deserve your respect!"

Liu Bei: "Mr. Ziyu has been very kind to my brothers and sisters. You are also a great sage. Although I hold a high position, I dare not compare you with me in terms of fame and rank! Please go back to the cabin and sit with me!"

　There are only two updates today, but they are actually big chapters with more than 4,000 words each, which adds up to almost 9,000 words.

　　There won't be any loss for everyone, it's just that I've written more than 10,000 words for five consecutive days, and nearly 30,000 words on the first day, so I'm a bit stuck.

　　After Liu Bei met Zhuge Liang, the first plot cannot be written randomly. I will think about it carefully tonight. After the follow-up push is finished, there will be more than 10,000 words a day to make up for it. Thank you

　　
　
(End of this chapter)